1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a photoelectrode used to reduce carbon dioxide by light energy, and to a method for reducing carbon dioxide using the photoelectrode.
2. Description of Related Art
JP 55(1980)-105625 A, JP 2526396 B2, JP 3876305 B2, JP 4158850 B2, JP 2010-064066 A, JP 2011-094194 A, JP 05(1993)-311476 A, JP 07(1995)-188961 A, and WO 2012/046374 A1 each disclose a method for reducing carbon dioxide by light energy.
JP 55(1980)-105625 A and JP 2526396 B2 each disclose a method for reducing carbon dioxide using an oxide semiconductor such as titanium oxide (titania, TiO2) as a photocatalytic material.
JP 3876305 B2, JP 4158850 B2, and JP 2010-064066 A each disclose a technique for reducing carbon dioxide using a composite photocatalytic material including a specific metal and a semiconductor.
JP 2011-094194 A discloses a method for reducing carbon dioxide using a photoelectrode (anode electrode) made of a photocatalytic material containing a semiconductor and a cathode electrode for carbon dioxide reduction made of a photocatalytic material containing a metal complex.
JP 05(1993)-311476 A and JP 07(1995)-188961 A each disclose a method for reducing carbon dioxide using a TiO2 photoelectrode as a photoelectrode (anode electrode) for producing oxygen from water. In this method, light irradiation of the photoelectrode and input from an external power source such as a solar cell or a potentiostat are utilized in combination to reduce carbon dioxide.
WO 2012/046374 A1 discloses a method for reducing carbon dioxide using a semiconductor photoelectrode containing gallium nitride (GaN) as a photoelectrode (anode electrode). In this method, light irradiation of the photoelectrode is utilized alone to reduce carbon dioxide.